Fwd: OUR GRIEVANCE

[RAJESH KUMAR Singh]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: RAJESH KUMAR Singh <rajeshsin...@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2016 13:04:00 +0530
Subject: OUR GRIEVANCE
To: wbh...@bsnl.in, hrcw...@gmail.com
Cc: c...@wb.gov.in

SRI NAPARAJIT MUKHERJEE, IPS (Retd.)
Acting Chairperson,
West Bengal Human Rights Commission
Purta Bhavan, 2nd Floor, Block-Df, Sector - I,
Salt Lake City, Kolkata-700 091.

Sub: VIOLATION OF OUR RIGHT TO EQUALITY & LIFE GUARANTEED BY THE
CONSTITUTION OF INDIA BY OUR EMPLOYER 'Life Insurance Corporation of
India (LICI)'

Respected Sir,
We are working as contractual employees in Life Insurance Corporation
of India (LICI) since March/April 2010. Our designation is Senior
Marketing Executives (SME's). We have been posted in the Alternate
Channels of Business Development of Life Insurance Corporation. Our
appointment is governed by the SME Scheme 2009. We perform the same
duties as performed by other permanent branch/deputy managers of LICI
posted in these alternate channels.
OUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS:
LICI advertised for this position. There was an All India Written
Test, then Group Discussion of candidates who qualified for the same
with required cut off took place. The Interview board took the
personal interview and then the final list of 103 selected candidates
was published in the corporation’s site.
TRAINING & POSTING:
In the due course the training of such Candidates took place in an
institute of national repute i.e. National Insurance Academy (NIA).
After the training the SME’s were posted in the four Alternate
Channels: MB&AC (Marketing-Bancassurance & Alternate Channel), P&GS
(Pension & Group Scheme), CLIA & Direct Marketing, at different
Divisions of LICI spread across the length and breadth of the country.
CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT:
On joining the respective offices, the SME’s were provided with
appointment letters with several terms and conditions governing their
employment. The same clearly mentioned that it is a contractual
assignment of 3 years each with maximum term up to 3 times.
Apart from this, these SME’s are to be treated as Branch Managers
/Administrative Officer cadre in the Corporation’s existing regular
service employees, and they should be given Salary Roll no. as in case
of the regular employees and all travel allowances effective from the
date of joining. They shall be eligible for PF & Gratuity.
Along with this it is clearly mentioned that the Annual CTC of 6 Lacs
consists of the 70 per cent fixed i.e. 35000/- PM and rest of the 30%
of compensation i.e. INR 1.80 Lac as variable, which they would have
to earn by way of fulfilling certain sales criteria.
PRESENT STATUS:
We are into the second term and 6th year of our contract, having
successfully completed our first term of 3 years & two years of the
second term. Our current strength is around 50. The remaining have
either resigned for a more secure permanent job or have been
terminated on grounds of non-fulfilment of the set targets, most of
the times unrealistic.
Clause 8 of the Engagement Letter states that there would be salary
increment of up to 10% per year until the contract is renewed with new
terms and conditions, but no such criteria of increment was exercised
till 28.03.2013, which was the last day of the contract for the first
SME's who joined on 29.03.2010.
LIC designed an increment criteria based on the earning of the
variable pay and not on individuals business performance and
considering the inflation and other economic scenario. Thus, denying
increment to most of the SME's. Today, though all of us began as 6
Lacs employees, disparity in wages earned by the group members has
been created by the Management, where most of us continue earning
their fixed salary while a very few of us earn about upto 50% more.
Regarding variable pay, we would like to add here that most of the
SMEs have never earned any variable pay or have earned miniscule
amount due to impossible unrealistic criteria for earning them, set
unilaterally by the management.
Our job security is also at stake during the term. Our annual
achievement or otherwise of the target will decide whether we are
going to continue in the next year or not.
Thus, now we feel that the intention of the Management is to get
people to work at fixed salary by virtue of using the brand clout of
LICI and poor job market situation prevailing in the country. Some
SME’s have crossed the age to apply for other Government jobs and are
forced to work in the current position despite knowing that they have
been victimised.
Moreover, we are being denied facilities provided to our permanent
colleagues, discharging similar duties along with us, like company
owned car, petrol allowance, opportunity to buy insurance at rebate,
preventive health check up, free mobile, etc.
Our permanent colleagues do not have to achieve any such fixed targets
and are assured of their job security and benefits, while we are
working at maybe 60-70% lower salary than these Branch Managers along
with the insecurity of losing our jobs. Thus, we are faced with job
insecurity as well as not getting Equal Pay for Equal Work, which we
feel is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution of India to
each worker in the country.
This is gross exploitation and against the principles of natural
justice. This, too in a welfare state like India and within a welfare
organisation like Life Insurance Corporation of India, the largest
social security provider in Asia.
OUR CONTENTION
We have only one contention.
LICI has been regularly recruiting AAO's (Assistant Administrative
Officers’) who will go on to become AO's (Administrative Officers),
which is the cadre to which we belong.
When LICI already has a proven skill force, we SME’s, who are in their
6th year doing a perennial nature of job alongside permanent
employees, at its disposal, why is it not regularising us and
bestowing us with all benefits akin to permanent employees?
Organisations like the State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Punjab
Government for its contractual Doctors, Delhi Government for its
contractual Teachers, etc. have regularized the jobs of thousands of
contractual employees. Why cannot Life Insurance Corporation of India
do the same? Considering our strength of 50 odd employees it is not
going to be a big deal for LICI.
We have made several representations to the management, board of
directors, union ministers of the erstwhile UPA Government, the then
Leader of Opposition, Smt. Sushma Swaraj ji, President of India, Prime
Minister of India, but to no avail.
LIC of India has simply refused to absorb us and we have confirmed
news that it is not going to renew our contract for the third term as
and when the second term contract ends. Thus leaving us and our
families in the midst of an uncertain future.

I, on behalf of all my colleagues, write to you with folded hands with
a request to guide us in getting our legitimate demands and to ensure
continued employment.

Thanks with Regards

Rajesh Kumar Singh
Sr. Marketing Executive,
LIC of India,
Jeevan Prakash,
16 C. R. Avenue, 11th floor,
Kolkata-700072.
Res.: 2 A. P. Devi Bazar,
Titagarh, Kolkata-700119.

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*RAJESH K. SINGH*



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*RAJESH K. SINGH*